Electric meter.



E. H. MESSLITER.

ELECTRIC METER.

APPLICATION FILED ,AUG.12. 1913.

1,221,56O1 Patented Apr. 3,1917.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

ATTORNEY E.- H': ME-SSITER. ELECTRIC METER.

APPLICATION FILED AUG. 12, I913.

LQQ 1,56% Patented Apr. 3, 1917.

2 SHEETS-SHEET Z.

WIT M58858 IIWENTOR EDWIN H. MESSITER, OF BROOKLYN, NEW YORK, ASSIGN'OR TO ELECTRIC WEIGI-IING COMPANY, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK.

ELECTRIC METER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Apr. 3, 1917.

Application filed August 12, 1913. Serial No. 784,342.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, EDWIN H. Museum, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of the borough of Brooklyn, county of Kings, and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Electric Meters, of which the following is a specification, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming? a part thereof.

My invention relates to electric meters of the rotary type and its object is to improve upon instruments of this character and to make them more reliable and efficient.

Another object is to provide a simple'arrangement for adjusting the action of such meters.

Other objects of my invention will appear in the following specification in which my invention will be described, the novel features of which will be set forth in appended claims.

Referring to the drawings,

Figure l is a front elevation, partly in section, of a meter embodying my invention.

A detail of construction is shown in Fig. 2 which is an enlarged sectional elevation of a circuit closing device which forms a part of and is embodied in the apparatus shown in Fig. 1.

A device arranged to be controlled by the circuit closer of the meter is shown-more or less diagrammatically in elevation in Fig. 3.

Fig. 4 is a wiring diagram of connectlons between the meter and the device illustrated in Fig. 3.

Fig. 5 is a sectional plan view of the meter shown in Fig. 1, the section being taken on the line 5-5 of r 1 and illustrating more particularly the arrangement of the motor magnets.

The construction of a part of the damping device is shown clearly in sectional front elevation in Fig. 6 and in plan in Fig. 7.

Fig. 8 is a plan view showing a modified construction of the part shown in similar view in Fig. 7.

The drivmg disk is shown in plan, view in Fig. 9, and its construction more specifically illustrated in Fig. 10 which is a sectional elevation on an enlarged scale of a portion of the driving disk.

Like characters of reference designate corresponding parts in all the figures.

The frame of the meter, designated by 10 is made of non-magnetic material such as brass. This is constructed tosupport the motor magnets 11,preferably four double magnets held in some such relative fixed positions as shown in Fig. 5. The ends of these magnets are provided with flat faced projecting pole pieces 12. The upper pole piece of each magnet approaches the under pole piece of the same magnet leaving between them a narrow horizontal space in which the rotor disk 20 is placed.

Supported upon the frame 10 is a circular disk 13 of mica or the like in the center of {which is supported an inverted cup-like guide bearing 14: which may be secured thereto by nuts as shown. 15 is an annular spacing washer above which is another circular insulating washer 16. Above this is a block 17 of insulating material in the center of which is a circular hole which forms a float chamber. These parts are securely clamped together and to the frame by any suitable means such as screws or bolts (not shown). The float chamber is filled with mercury 18.

The rotor disk 20 is mounted upon a vertical shaft 21. Above the disk is the float 22 the buoyancy of which in the mercury supports the weight of the shaft and the parts on it. The shaft is guided at its lower end by the bearing 14 and at its upper end by a bearing 23 in a yoke 24 which is secured to the frame 10.

I The rotor disk 20 is provided with radial cuts 25 which are filled with insulating material as is shown in Fig. 10 so that its upper and lower surfaces are smooth. Cuts of this kind have heretofore been provided in rotor disks of this character for the purpose of causing the measured current which passes through the disk to pass more or less diagrammatically across the disk instead of spreading out through its entire body. Such cuts however increase the friction of V Esupported'by passingit thrduglr'a-block' 56 shaft.

V the disk as it rotates in the body of mercury as they tend to throw the mercury outward in the manner of a centrifugal pump and as this resistance to the rotation of the disk increases rapidly as the rate of rotation increases it has seriously detracted from accuracy-of the device as a measuringinstrumentr By filling thecuts however, as herein disclosed; I retain the advantage of the cuts without their heretofore attendant disad- "vantage.

Q The damping disk 30 is mounted on the shaft 21 to rotate between the pole pieces of the damping magnets 31. These as shown arepreferably four in number, supported by H theframe lO and disposed in substantially [the same relative positions as are the motor V asshown in Fig. 7 or if preferred they may V be parallel with one another as shown at 32 in Fig. 8. In veither case they tend to concentrate the magnetic flux of the magnetsin lines substantially transverse to the .movement of the disk and to reduce the eddy current losses, thereby increasing the damping efi'ect.

Aflixed to the insulating block 17 is the flange & whi'chsupports ahollow vertical sleeveel. The shaft 21 passes through this sleeve and the outer surface of the sleeve is {threaded to adjustably'support a horizontal regulatingdisk'4c2 of magnetic metal. Near the periphery of this disk are drilled at regular intervals vertical holeswhich can be "broughtinto register with a similar hole in a graduated bracket '43. By rotating the disk it" mayfberaised or'lowered' into a desired positionand held there by means of a wire 44 passing through the hole in the bracket 413 and through one of the holes in the disk and fastened 'by a seal 45..

. by a tube 53, the opening through which is.

A fixedito'the yoke 24 is a cross piece 50 V which supportsone or more reservoirs 51 adapted to hold mercury. mercury cup '52 i'sconnected with each of these reservoirs of capillary dimensions. The mercury in the cup .forms a, meniscus 54 which proe jects above the upper edge" of the cup.

' f'Aflixedgto theshaft '21 is a contact wire 1 5513116 lower'end' of which passes'through the*iihercurry-3 meniscus at every revolution of fithwshafti Th s stream be mars rigidly Tha -var ous parts "of this apparatus shave measured is passed through the instrument by conductors connected with the terminals A B (Fig. which connect with the mercury 18 in which the rotor disk is immersed. The disk is of copper or of some material of higher conductivity than is the mercury so that the greater part of the current traverses the disk diametrically and the slots in the disk tend to keep it from spreading out through the disk. As the disk is in a strong and practically constant magnetic field, it becomes the armature of an electric motor and rotates at a speed proportional to the strength of the current passing through it.

The damping disk is rotated thereby in another strong magnetic field and this rotation tends to generate a current therein. The work done by rotating the damping disk opposes the drivingefiect of the rotor and tends to quickly bring the parts to rest as soon as the measured current is cut off.

The ribbed pole pieces of the magnets which provide the field for the damping disk concentrate the magnetic lines of force passing through the disk along lines transverse to the direction of rotation of the disk and increase the efficiency of this part of the apparatus.

The meter illustrated, in common with others of like type, comprises two sets of permanent magnets spaced apart. In the space between them, I place the regulating disk 42 of magnetic material. This diverts some of the magnetic lines of force from both sets of magnets. The nearer it is to the motor magnets, the more their effectiveness is diminished and their driving effect neutralized. At the same time the further the adjusting disk is away from the damping magnets, the more of their lines of force pass through the damping disk and its retarding effect is increased. Obviously the converse of these statements is true.

I have provided for a very delicate variation of the position of this disk and by movin it up or down the instrument may be ad usted to a 'nicety.

The shaft 21 may be connected to drive an indicator in the usual manner, but in order to get more accurate results, I prefer to omit such mechanisms with their attendant frictional losses and to use instead a circuit closing device for an auxiliary circuit.

Referring now to Figs. 3 and 4, designates a battery one terminal of which is connected to the shaft 21 by a conductor (31. 62 and 63 are electro-magnets to one terminal of each'of which is connected the other terminal of the battery. The other magnet ter hinals are connected with the reservoirs =51 51 and through the mercury therein with the meniscii 54, 54. When the'meter shaft rot-ates, the conductor- 55 war contact" first with one meniscus and then with the other"130 thereby establishing a circuit, first through one magnet and then through the other.

hen magnet 62 is energized, it will pull armature 64 on the lower end of an arm 65 pivotally supported at 66, to the left. A double pawl 67 is-connected with arm 65 and this movement of the armature causes the pawl to rotate a star wheel 68 one step in the direction of the arrow shown thereon.

Another half revolution of shaft 21 will cause a circuit to be closed through magnet 63. This pulls the armature over to the right, and through the parts just described, causes the wheel 68- to be rotated another step in the same direction.

The indication or recording mechanism which is actuated by the meter 'is driven by the shaft 69 of the star wheel.

It is sometimes desirable to have other devices controlled by the magnets 62, 63 which may be done by causing the swinging movement of the arm 65 to close and open other circuits. A simple way of accomplishing this is to support a vacuum tube 70 on the arm in such a position that it will be horizon'tal when the arm is in its central or intermediate position. Near the opposite ends of this tube are spaced contacts or terminals 71, 7 2 which pass through the tube and with which wires may be connected. Within the tube is a small quantity of mercury 73 which, when the parts are in the positions in which they are shown in the drawings, will coin nect the contacts 72 and which when the magnet 63 has drawn armature 64 over to itself will connect the contacts 71. Thus an alternate intermittent connection of two circuits may be established which may be utilized to actuate other registering or recording devices.

The driving mechanism which is con trolled by the meter and which actuates the indication or recording mechanism, forms the subject-matter of a separate application Serial No. 856,917, filed August 15, 1914, which is a continuation in part of this application.

What I claim is:

1. In a meter, a motor mechanism having a magnetic field, a damping mechanism having a magnetic field and arranged to oppose the efiect of the motor mechanism and an adjusting device arranged to inversely vary the effective strength of said magnetic fields.

2. In a meter, a motor mechanism having a magnetic field, a damping mechanism having a magnetic field and arranged to oppose the effect of the motor mechanism, and a member of magnetic material arranged to divert a part of the lines of force of both of said magnetic fields, and means for adjusting the position of said member relatively to said fields.

8. In a meter, a motor mechanism having a magnetic field, a damping mechanism having a magnetic field and arranged to oppose the efiect of the motor mechanism, and a member of magnetic material between said fields arranged to divert a part of the lines of force of both of said magnetic fields, and means for adjusting the position of said member toward one of said fields and away from the other field.

4. In a meter, a motor magnet, a damping magnet, and a member of magnetic material adjustably supported between said magnet: and adapted to influence both magnets.

55. In a meter, a set of horizontally dis posed motor magnets, a set of horizontally disposed damping magnets, and a vertically adjustable member of magnetic material between said sets of magnets andadapted to influence both sets of magnets.

6. In a meter, a shaft, a rotor disk there on, means for producing a magnetic field for the rotor disk, a damping disk on said shaft, means for producing a magnetic field for the damping disk, a member of mag" netic material between said magnetic fields arranged to divert a part of the lines of force of both of said fields, and means for adjusting said member in a direction parallel with the shaft to inversely vary the effective strength of said magnetic fields.

7. In a meter, a vertical shaft, a rotor disk thereon, means for producing a magnetic field for the rotor disk, a damping disk on said shaft, means for producing a magnetic field for the damping disk, a disk of magnetic material surrounding said shaft between said magnetic fields arranged to direct a part of the lines of force of both of said fields, and means for adjusting the vertical position of said member to inversely vary the effective strength of said mag netic fields.

8. In a meter, a vertical shaft, a rotor disk thereon, a stationary magnet for the rotor disk, a damping disk on said shaft, a stationary magnet for the damping disk, a threaded sleeve surrounding the shaft and an internally threaded disk of magnetic material on said sleeve between the magnets.

9. In a meter, a vertical shaft, a rotor disk thereon, a stationary magnet for the rotor disk, a damping disk on said shaft, a stationary magnet for the damping disk, a threaded sleeve surrounding the shaft, an internally threaded disk of magnetic material on said sleeve between the magnets, a graduated vertical scale at one side of said magnetic disk, and circumferential graduations on the disk.

10. In a meter, a vertical shaft, a horizontally disposed horse-shoe magnet, a rotor disk on the shaft between the poles of said magnet, another horizontally disposed horse-shoe magnet in a different vertical position, a damping disk on the shaft between the poles of said other magnet, an externally threaded hollow stationary sleeve surround ing the shaft, and an internally threaded disk of magnetic material adjustably sup- I zontally disposed "ported on said sleeve between the magnets.

11. In a meter, a vertical shaft, a horipermanent horse-shoe magnet, a rotor disk on the shaft between the poles of said magnet, another horizontally disposed permanent horse-shoe magnet n a different vertical position, a damping diskon the shaft between the poles of said other magnet, an externally threaded hollow stationary sleeve surroundingthe shaft, an

internally threaded disk of magnetic material adjustably supported on said sleeve between the magnets, a graduated vertical :scale'at one side of said magnetic disk, said -magnet1c disk being provided with a set of equally spaced holes, and means for sealing said disk in its adjusted position.

12. In a meter, a shaft, a rotor disk thereon, a magnet for said rotordisk, a damping disk on said shaft, a. horse-shoe'magnethavmg 1ts poles extendmg over opposite sides of the damping disk, rlhbed polepleces on the poles of said horse-shoe magnet, and a ber, 1a horizontally disposed stationary horseshoeinagnet with its poles extending Copies of this patent may be obtained for over opposite. sides of the rotor disk, a damping disk on said shaft, a horse-shoe magnet having its poles extending over opposite sides of the damping disk, ribbed pole pieces on the poles of said horse-shoe magnet, and a vertically adjustable member of magnetic material between said magnets.

l l. In a meter, a vertical shaft, a mercury 'filled chamber, a rotor disk on said shaft immersed in the mercury in said chamber, a horizontally disposed stationary horse-shoe magnet with its poles extending over opposite sides of the rotor disk, a damping disk on said shaft above the rotor disk, a pair of magnets having like poles thereof facing one another, and their unlike poles extending over opposite sides of the disk, a hollow threaded sleeve surrounding the shaft above said rotor magnet, an internally threaded disk of magnetic material adjustably supported on said sleeve, a

graduated vertical scale at one side of said magnetic disk, said magnetic disk being provided with a set of equally spaced holes,

and means for sealing said magnetic disk in its adjusted position.

In Witness whereof, I have hereunto set my hand this 11th day of August, in the year 1913.

EDWIN H. MESSITER.

lVitnesses:

G. R. QUIMBI, R. J. DEARBORN.

five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. 0.

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